Warning signaling apparatus



April 27, 1948. G. M. sTRlcKLAND ET AL 2,440,453

WARNING SIGNLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2e, 1947 Patented Apr. 27, 1948 WARNING SIGN ALIN G APPARATUS George Marion Strickland and Allen McGill, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Application February 26, 1947, Serial N o. 736,966

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to Warning signaling apparatus, particularly for use at grade crossings to warn the drivers of vehicles and other persons of the approach of trains, or at the bridge-head of a draw bridge to indicate that the draw is open, or other places where warning signals are necessary.

It is quite customary to attempt to safeguard traiic crossings by signals of the blinker type mounted on the cross beam of a standard, and, also, in many cases, to make greater impression by having a more animated and personal aspect through the use of men employed as guards to hold up signs or swing lamps. However, the first type of signals have become so commonplace and inanimate that frequently they do not attract proper attention particularly in the daytime, and, of course from a maintenance standpoint, men employed as guards are expensive and often are not alert in the performance of their duties.

Therefore, the present invention has for its general object a combination of the good features of both types of signaling with a minimum of expense and upkeep, in the form of an animated robot having, for example, the likeness of a grade crossing attendant or officer of the law, and means operable automatically in response to the approach of a train or the like to actuate said robot in a manner to attract attention thereto and. to signal that the tracks should not be crossed until the train or the like has passed.

Thus, the present invention fulfills the essential requirements of a warning signal in the sense that it commands attention at night as well as by day in a manner to insure maximum eiiiciency.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists of a warning signaling apparatus embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, and their mode of operation, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, of a warning signaling apparatus constructed and operable in accordance with the invention.

Fig` 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the electrical control circuits of the apparatus.

Cil

Referring to the drawings in detail, A designates a small house of the type which may be provided at many grade crossings for the shelter of the attendants of such crossings, but is preferably capable of embodiment in a form which is smaller and more compact than the average house, and thus be less expensive and more easily handled and installed as a unit by regular maintenance crews. B designates, generally, a. robot which may appropriately have the likeness of a grade crossing attendant or an oiiicer of the law and which is mounted for movement between a concealed or inoperative position within said house and an exposed or operative position outside of and spaced a suitable distance from said house.

The house A may be located, for example, at one side of a highway a suitable distance from a grade crossing, and the robot B may be mounted for retraction into and projection from said house and so that when it is projected it has a position near one side of the highway. The house A is preferably provided with a flood light A' to be included in the signaling circuit to illuminate the robot when it is projected out of the housing to reflect its full brilliancy on the robot man when said robot is in a projected position.

While the robot B may be of any suitable construction, it may appropriately be, as illustrated, in the form of a piece of flat material, such as board, cut to the outline of an oflicer of the law and painted so as closely to resemble such an oflicer.

The house A is provided, in the highway-facing side thereof, with a slot or doorway l0 through f which the robot B is retractable into and projectable from said house, and upon the oor of said house, or upon suitable supporting means at or near the bottom of said house, is mounted a suitable track or guide element il upon or in which is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement a rack bar I2 upon the outer end of which the robot B is mounted. The slot I0 is preferably provided with ilexible weather strips through which the robot would pass in or out so that the robot would be cleaned of snow and dust as he passed in either direction. These wiper strips could be made of either felt or fiber and designed in such manner as to touch all parts of the front and back of said robot, in this manner cleaning him thoroughly from head to foot. Accordingly, the robot B is movable into and from the house A, between its concealed or inoperative position, and its exposed or operative position, by inward and outward longitudinal movements, respectively, of the rack bar I2.

Suitable spring means, such as a helical, contractile spring I3, connected at one end to the robot B and anchored in any suitable manner at its other end, tends constantly to retract said robot to its inoperative position within the house A and, of course, to shift the rack bar I 2 inwardly. On the other hand,xa pinion I4, mounted on a shaft I5 common to two electric motors I6 and II so that it may be driven by either of said motors, is operatively engaged with the teeth of the rack bar I2 so that upon energization of either of said motors the rack bar I2 is shifted outwardly and the robot B thereby is projected toits opera tive position.

The robot B includes an arm I8 which is pivoted, as indicated at I9, for swinging movement in a vertical plane between raised and lowered, substantially horizontal and substantially vertical positions, respectively, and it is a feature of the invention that when the robot is projected, this arm is swung between these positions to signal highway traii'ic to come 'toa halt.

While any suitable means may be employed to swing the arm It when the robot B is projected, one such means may comprise, as illustrated in the drawings, an actuating bar 20 mounted upon or in the track or guide element II at one side of the rack bar I2 for'projection and retraction with said rack bar and for reciprocation with respect thereto; vmeans whereby said actuating bar is reciprocated when it and the rack bar are projected, and a connection between said actuating bar and the robot arm I8 whereby reciprocation of said actuating bar swings said robot arm.

Between the rack bar I2 and the actuating bar 20 is a suitable connection, comprised, for example, by a pin 2| on said rack bar operating in a slot 22 in said actuating bar, whereby said actuating bar may have limited reciprocable movement relative to said rack bar and yet is constrained to be projected and retracted'with said rack bar.

Suitable spring means such, for example, as a compression helical spring 23 interposed between the outer end of the actuating bar 20 and a suitable abutment 24 on the rack bar I2, tends constantly to shift said actuating bar 20 inwardly relative to said rack bar I2, while rising from the inner end of said actuating bar is an arm 25 which, when the rack bar I2 and the actuating arm 20 are projected, is disposed in the lower half of the circular path of movement of a pin 2S which projects from the pinion I 4, whereby, once during each complete revolution of said pinion, said pin, by engagement with said arm, projects the actuating bar 2!! relative to the rack bar I2 and then releases the same for retraction relative to said rack bar bythe spring 23.

The amount thatv the robot B is projected is7 of course, dependent upon the length of the rack bar I2, and when said robot is projected it is maintained projected, as long as the pinion It is driven, by the cooperation of said pinion with the innermost of theV rack bar teeth. When, however, the pinion le no longer is driven, the spring I3 acts to draw the robot B into the house A and to retract therack bar I2 and the actuating bar 2D. I

When the rack bar I2 and the robot B are projected, the actuating bar 2U, is, as aforesaid, also projected due to the pin and slot or equiva lent connectionbetween sai-d rack bar and said actuating bar, and in this connection the arrangement is, of course such that when said rack bar and said actuating bar are projected, the arm supply wires 33, 3B.

25 on said actuating bar is brought to a position to be engaged by the pin 26 on the pinion lli as said pinion rotates. t will therefore be apparent that initial rotation of the pinion Ill will project the rack bar I2 and the robot B and that thereafter continued rotation of said pinion will mainn tain said rack bar and said robot projected and will result in reciprocation of the actuating bar 20.

Rising from the rack bar I2 at a point adjacent to the robot B is a post 2'! to which is pivoted a bell-crank lever 28 one arm 22 of which is pivoted to the actuating bar 29 adjacent to its outer end and the other arm 3B oi which is connected by a push-pull rod 3i with a lever arm 32 on the robot arm I8. Thus, in response to recipro- Vcation of the actuating bar 29 relative to the rack bar I2, the robot arm I3 is swung between its raised and its lowered positions.

To assist in steadying the robot B, particularly when it is in its projected position, its other arm, 33, may be pivoted to the robot body portion, as indicated at 34, and at its outer end may be pivoted, as indicated at 35, to one end of another arm 3S which is suitably mounted, as indicated at 3l, within the housing A for swinging movement. the arms 33 and 3S swing between substantially horizontal or raised positions as shown by full lines in Figure 1 and substantially vertical or lowered positions as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.

The motor I6 is a primary driving motor for the pinion I4 and may be supplied with current from any suitable source, such as a source of commercial current indicated in Figure 4 by the On the other hand, the motor I'l is an auxiliary driving motor for said pinion, to be brought into operation only in the event of failure of the current supply to the motor I5, and may receive its current from any suitable source such as a battery indicated as 39.

One of the current supply wires 38 is interrupted by a suitable switch, designated generally as 40, comprising, for example, a pair of spaced contacts 4I in said wire and a movable switch element 42 which normally is spaced from said contacts to maintain the circuit of the motor It normally open. By any suitable means, such as a solenoid indicated at 43, the switch element 42, which in any suitable manner is maintained normally spaced from the contacts lll, 13|, is movable to engage said contacts 4l', di and thus close the circuit of the motor IS. The terminals of the winding of the solenoid t3 are connected by conductors 44 to the two rails IM', respectively, of an insulated section of track T across which extends a highway guarded by the robot B, and in the track circuit comprised by the rails 4Q', the conductors 44 and the solenoid 613 is a battery 44a. The said track circuit normally is open and therefore the solenoid 43 normally is deenergized and the switch element 42 normally is spaced from the contacts 4 I, 4 I. When, however, a train enters the track section T, the trucks of the train bridge the rails 44 and thus close the track circuit, with the result that the solenoid 43 is energized and the switch element 42 is moved to engage the contacts dI, 4I, thereby closing theA As the robot is projected and retracted,l

switch element 42 becomes spaced from the contacts 4I, 4I, thereby opening the circuit of the motor I6.

One side of the motor Il is connected to one side of the battery 3S by a conductor 45. The other side of sai-d motor ll' is connected by a conductor 43 to the switch contact 4I nearer the motor I6 or at any point between said switch contact and said motor I5. A conductor fil connects the other switch contact lll with a baclr contact 48 of a relay 49.

The relay 49 includes an armature and a cooperating electro-magnet 5i, which latter is included in the supply circuit of the motor whereby it is energized as long as there is no failure of current in sai-d supply circuit. As long as said electro-magnet 5i is energized, it holds the armature 5c spaced from the back contact d3. In the event, however, of a current failure in the supply circuit of the motor IE, with consequent de-energization of the electro-magnet 5l, the armature 50 drops, or is moved by any suitable means, into engagement with the back contact '38. The armature connected 'to the other side of the battery 3B by a conductor Accordingly, in the event of circuit failure in the supply line of the motor le, the battery supply circuit of the motor I1 is established under the control of the switch 49.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that normally both motors I 6 and I'l are inactive; that under normal conditions; i. e., as long as the supply circuit of the motor l5 is energized, the circuit of the motor l1 will be maintained open and the circuit of the motor l5 will be close only upon closing of the switch '39 by an approa-ching train, and that, in the event of failure of the supply circuit of the motor l5, the battery circuit of the motor I1 will be established under the control of the switch 45 so that the motor l'l will be actuated only upon the approach of a train. Thus, as a safety measure, the present mechanism provides for operation of the robot B in the event of failure of the current supply to the primary motor I6.

The robot arm I8 is provided with a signal lamp 53 and means is provided whereby this lamp is dashed as long as either of the motors l5 or I1 is operating. To this end, the common shaft I5 of said motors is provided with a worm 54 in f driving relationship to a worm wheel 55, and said worm wheel is provided with a pair of sectors 55 and 5l, which, respectively, are of insulating and conducting material. A pair of contact elements 53, 53 cooperate with said sectors and are arranged so that as said worm wheel rotates they are successively electrically connected and electrically disconnected. One of said contacts is connected by a conductor 5S with :one side of the lamp 53 and the other of said contacts is connected by a conductor Si) with the other side of said lamp via the switch 4d so that the lamp circuit may be closed only when said switch 4l! is closed. Any suitable source of current for the lamp 53 may be provided, such a source being illustrated by way of example in Figure 2 as comprising a battery 6I in the conductor 5). It will thus be apparent that as long as current is supplied to either of the motors IG or l'l the lamp 53 will be flashed simultaneously with swinging of the same by the robot arm i8.

Summarizing, the present apparatus provides a robot which normally is concealed from view and protected from the elements by the house A; which is projected by closing of a track circuit upon the approach of a train; which, when projected, is animated by swinging of its arm I8 and flashing of the lamp carried by said arm, and which, upon passing of the train, with consequent opening of the track circuit, is retracted into the housing A to again be projected and animated upon the approach of another train, all to the end of affording a most effective means of signailing and warning the drivers of vehicles and other persons of the approach of trains or the like at grade crossings or the like.

If desired, audible signal means may be employed to supplement the visual signal means afforded the lamp 53; also, if desired, the lamp may be supplemented by the usual, alternately dashing grade crossing warning lamps located on the house A or at any other desired point. nood lamp A is included in the circuit i-38 and also in circuit l5- lili so that the robot is continuously flooded with light while projected from the housing A.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that the construction and operation of the present warning signaling apparatus will be clearly understood and its advantages appreciated. It is desired to point out, however, that while only a single, specic structural embodiment of said apparatus has been illustrated and described, the same is readily capable of various other specifically different structural embodiments within the spirit and sco-pe of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. Grade crossing signaling apparatus comprising a robot in the form of a human figure having a swingable arm, means mounting said robot for projection and retraction between operative and inoperative positions, an electric motor and means cooperating therewith for projecting said robot and for maintaining the same projected as long as the motor continues tooperate, means operable upon the approach of a train to close the circuit of said motor and to maintain the same .closed until the train has passed, solely mechanical means operable oy said motor following projection of said robot to swing said arm as long as the motor continues to operate, and means to return said robot to its retracted position upon passing of the train and opening of said motor circuit.

2. Grade crossing signaling apparatus comprising a robot in the form of a human ligure having a swingable arm, a rack bar on which said robot is mounted, a motor having a pinion engaged with said rack bar so that when said motor is energized said robot is projected from an inoperative retracted position to an operative position and is maintained projected as long as said motor continues to operate, spring means to retract said robot when said motor is deenergized, an arm actuating bar projectable and retractable with said rack bar and reciprocable with respect thereto, means whereby continued operation of said motor and pinion eiects reciprocation of said actuating bar following projection of said robot, a connection between said actuating bar and said robot arm whereby reciprocation of said actuating bar swings said arm, and means operable by an approaching train to energize said motor and to maintain the same energ-ized until the train has passed and then to deenergize said motor.

3. Grade crossing signaling apparatus comprising a robot having a movable element, means mounting said robot for projection and retraction between operative and inoperative positions, a motor and means cooperating therewith for projecting said robot and for maintaining the same projected as long as the motor continues to operate, means operable upon the approach of a train -to initiate operation of said motor and to maintain vthe same operating until the train has passed, solely mechanical means operable by said motor following projection of said robot to actuate said movable element as long as said motor continues to operate, and means to return said robot to its retracted position upon passing of the train.

4. Grade crossing signaling apparatus comprising a robot having a movable element, a rack bar on which said robot is mounted, a motor having a pinion engaged with said rack bar so that when said motor is energized said robot is projected from an inoperative retracted position to an operative position and is maintained projected as long as the motor continues to operate, spring means to retract said rack bar and said robot when said motor is de-energized, an actuator for said movable element projectable and retractable with said rack bar and recprocable with respect thereto, means whereby continued operation of said motor and pinion eiects reciprocation of said actuator and movement of said movable element following projection of said robot, and

means operable by an approaching train to energize said motor and to maintain the same energized until the train has passed and then to deenergize said motor.

GEORGE M. STRICKLAND. ALLEN MCGILL.

REFERENCES CiTElD The following references `are of record in the 

